Young Aces Open Tennis Tournament at VCU Promotes Sportsmanship and Higher Education

By Mike Porter

Their serves were not always smooth and their volleys a bit volatile, but all of the 160 Richmond public school fourth and fifth graders participating in the Young Aces Open tennis tournament at VCU’s Mary and Frances Youth Center finished as winners.

The tennis tournament took place April 13 and was hosted by the VCU Center for Sport Leadership and the VCU Division of Community Engagement’s Lobs & Lessons program.

Lobs & Lessons partnered with Richmond Tennis Association last fall to provide every elementary school in the city with QuickStart Tennis (QST) curriculum, equipment and training. QST is a new teaching format developed by the United States Tennis Association, which allows more children the opportunity to experience the game, as the courts and equipment are smaller so that they can feel confident while acquiring skills. 

The Young Aces Open tournament allowed the children to put their skills to the test.

VCU President Michael Rao welcomed the young participants and discussed the importance of a college education.

Joe Grover, vice president of the board of directors for the United States Tennis Association, told the children that winning isn’t as important as how they play the game.

“Tennis is a game of high-level sportsmanship,” Grover said. "The integrity and ethics you learn in tennis will take you a long way.”

The children then hit the courts for a friendly competition of round-robin tennis, followed by activity stations and an awards ceremony. All 35 students in VCU’s Center for Sport Leadership graduate program were on hand to support the players. Four of those students organized the tournament as part of their sport entertainment and event development class.

“This has been a great opportunity to learn about the process of planning an event and be able to help the local community at the same time,” said student organizer Mary Bertram.

Each elementary school sent a six-member team, consisting of three boys and three girls, who played in teams of mixed doubles. There was no elimination, allowing every child to play continuously and contribute to a team-centered event.

Radio Disney supplied music, entertainment and prizes. The United States Tennis Association and Virginia Tennis provided prizes, including QuickStart Tennis bracelets.